Collapsible tube containers

ABSTRACT

A collapsible tube container having an even number of longitudinally extending thinned portions along its body which form at least two pairs of hinge lines. The inner surfaces of the tube are planar so that sharp corners are formed when the tube is collapsed, leaving the planar surfaces in contact with each other so as to expel substantially all of the contents of the tube upon squeezing.

United States Patent Strazdins [4 1 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINERS 55] Referen e m [72] inventor: Atis Strazdins, l7 Stanbrook Avenue,

Fairy Meadow, New South Wales, Aus- UNITED STATES PATENTS tralia 3,508,587 4/1970 Mauch ....,222/l07 X 2,718,983 9/1955 Deshes ..222/92 Filed: Mar. Lal'SOIl PP N03 22,653 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Larry Martin Foreign Appucafion priority Data Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller& Mosher M31- 28, 1969 Australia ..52713/69 57 ABSTRACT Jan. 19, 1970 Australia e e e A collapsible tube container having an even number of longitudinally extending thinned portions along its body which 52 s CL ni 07 150 3 133/1 19 form at least two pairs of hinge lines. The inner surfaces of the 51 Int. Cl ..Bd 35/08 tube are planer so that Sharp corners are formed when the [58] Field of Search ..222/92, 95, 101, 102, 103, tube is collapsed, leaving the pl r rfaces n n ct with each other so as to expel substantially all of the contents of the tube upon squeezing.

8 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINERS This invention relates to collapsible tube containers of the kind used for vending and dispensing liquids, pastes or other fluent materials such as toothpaste, ointments, medicaments, various foods, cosmetic creams, paints, adhesives and so on.

Containers of the kind in question are usually made of metal or plastics as tubes of annular cross-sectional shape; one end of a selected length of tube being closed by pinching, clamping, heat-sealing, folding or otherwise to provide a seal closure, and the other end of the tube being formed to provide a discharge opening usually by way of a conical shoulder formation which includes a discharge neckpiece. The neckpiece may have a pierceable membrane across it and may be threaded to accept a removable closure cap or the end-sleeve of an injection needle or the like; alternatively, the neckpiece may be cylindrical or otherwise formed for acceptance of a hypodermic needle, an enema nozzle or the like.

The prior art container tubes, referred to above are largely satisfactory in use except for the difficulty of completely emptying them. In ordinary use such tubes become twisted, wrinkled or crumpled in such a way that a proportion of the original contents cannot be easily expelled; and, is thus wasted when the tube is discarded.

The object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube container which, short of deliberate intention to maI-form it, upon ordinary application of hand pressure, will readily collapse into a condition in which the opposite sides of the tube wall come flatly into mutual contact, thus virtually depriving the collapsed tube of volumetric capacity sufficient for retention of any substantial fraction of the original contents.

The invention consists in:

A collapsible tube container of the kind comprising a tubular body, a seal closure at one end of said body, and access means at the other end of said body, characterized, in that said body has at least four longitudinally extending portions which are thinner than the remainder of said body so to constitute hinge-lines; two of said hinge lines being major hinge-lines which lie in a plane disposed longitudinally and medially of said body thereby to permit the body portions on either side of said plane to be pressed flatly into mutual contact.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the drawings herewith.

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a container body uncollapsed.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sections respectively taken on lines 2-2 and 33 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 correspond with FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively but with the body shown fully collapsed or almost so.

FIG. 6 virtually repeats FIG. 1 but with the body in a collapsed condition.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 1 showing two modified forms of the invention.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sections taken respectively on lines 9-9 and l010 in FIG. 8.

FIGS. 11 and I2 are cross-sectional end elevations respectively illustrating two further modified embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are cross-sectional end elevations showing a further embodiment almost un-collapsed (FIG. 13) and nearly collapsed (FIG. 14).

FIGS. 15 and 16 are similar to FIGS. 13 and 14 showing still another modified embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a sectional end elevation showing a further embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 the tubular body 18 has a thinned end portion 19 which can be closed to constitute a sealed closure in any convenient way, for example, if the material of the body is suitable, by heat sealing, adhesion or otherwise as indicated by FIG. 4. The other end of the body includes a conical or otherwise convergent shoulder formation 20 terminating in an externally threaded neck-piece 21.

The body illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 has six longitudinal extending portions 22 which are thinner than the remainder of the body so to constitute hinge lines about which the body may readily bend to collapse flatly as indicated for example in FIG. 5.

Referring mainly to FIG. 3, two of these hinge lines are disposed in the diametrical plane indicated at 23 and these, acting as what may be termed major hinge lines, permit the body portions on either side of plane 23 to be pressed flatly into mutual contact.

In the embodiment the subject of FIGS. 1 to 6 the convergent shoulder 20 has one side 20A thinner, and therefore more readily collapsible, than the opposite side 208 thus facilitating collapse of the shoulder in the manner indicated in FIG. 6.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is virtually the same as that of FIGS. 1 to 6 except that the seal closure end 24 is formed somewhat differently, being cylindrical as will be apparent from the drawings.

The embodiment of FIGS. 8 to 10 is again much the same as those of earlier figures except for the body being externally hexagonal with the two wall portions 25, on opposite side of the medial plane 23A, being thicker than the other wall portions 26. Because wall portions 25 are thicker they are less flexible and hence readily identifiable by the user as those which have to be pressed together when the body is being collapsed; moreover, their lesser flexibility somewhat increases the flatness of final wall contact when the tube is eventually collapsed.

The example shown in FIG. II is similar to that shown in FIG. 10 in having thickened side walls 27 on opposite sides of the plane 238. The difference being that the hexagonal transverse cross-sectional shape is not a regular hexagon.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 3 except for having only four thinned portions 22A instead of SIX.

FIGS. 13 and 14 shows a body having substantially inflexible wall portions 28 on either side of the collapse plane 23C. This embodiment is intended to collapse inwardly concertina fashion as indicated in FIG. 14.

FIGS. 15 and I6 virtually repeat the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14 except for the body wall portions 29, other than thickened portions 30, being designed to collapse outwardly as shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 shows a body much the same as that shown in FIG. 3 except for having eight thinned portions 228 instead of six.

Iclaim:

1. A collapsible tube container of the kind having a tubular body, a seal closure at one end of said body and access means at the other end of said body, comprising:

a. an even number, not less than four, longitudinally extend ing thinned portions on said body constituting at least two pairs of diametrically opposed hinge-lines;

b. planar internal surfaces in said body thereby to form sharp comers which coincide with said hinge-lines; and

c. thicker body portions between any neighboring two of said hinge-lines than said thinned portions and of such stiffness that upon squeeze pressure being externally applied to said body the body will collapse towards a plane containing one of said opposed pairs of hinge-lines, said internal surfaces on either side of the plane remaining planar and being pressed flatly into mutual contact.

2. A container according to claim I wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body prior to collapse thereof is internally hexagonal and said major hinge-lines are constituted by two diametrically opposed hexagon corners.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body is externally circular.

4. A container according to claim 2 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body is externally hexagonal and said body includes two wall portions on opposite sides of said plane which are thicker than the other wall portions of said body.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body prior to collapse thereof is and an externally threaded neck-piece at the smaller end of said shoulder.

8. A container according-to claim 1 wherein said access means at one end of said body include a convergent shoulder having opposite wall portions one of which is thicker than the other. 

1. A collapsible tube container of the kind having a tubular body, a seal closure at one end of said body and access means at the other end of said body, comprising: a. an even number, not less than four, longitudinally extending thinned portions on said body constituting at least two pairs of diametrically opposed hinge-lines; b. planar internal surfaces in said body thereby to form sharp corners which coincide with said hinge-lines; and c. thicker body portions between any neighboring two of said hinge-lines than said thinned portions and of such stiffness that upon squeeze pressure being externally applied to said body the body will collapse towards a plane containing one of said opposed pairs of hinge-lines, said internal surfaces on either side of the plane remaining planar and being pressed flatly into mutual contact.
 2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body prior to collapse thereof is internally hexagonal and said major hinge-lines are constituted by two diametrically opposed hexagon corners.
 3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body is externally circular.
 4. A container according to claim 2 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body is externally hexagonal and said body includes two wall portions on opposite sides of said plane which are thicker than the other wall portions of said body.
 5. A container according to claim 1 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body prior to collapse thereof is internally rectangular and said major hinge-lines are constituted by two diametrically opposed rectangular corners.
 6. A container according to claim 1 wherein the transverse cross-sectional shape of said body prior to collapse thereof is internally octagonal and said major hinge-lines are constituted by two diametrically opposed octagon corners.
 7. A container according claim 1 wherein said access means at one end of said body comprise a convergent shoulder and an externally threaded neck-piece at the smaller end of said shoulder.
 8. A container according claim 1 wherein said access means at one end of said body include a convergent shoulder having opposite wall portions one of which is thicker than the other. 